Federal prosecutors said Monday they have decided to drop all charges against nine Stephen Colbert staffers who were arrested last month for illegally entering a congressional building,
The decision, made by the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, comes after prosecutors determined they “cannot move forward” with the charges. The incident followed the third public hearing by the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 protest at the Capitol.Though Capitol Police have refused to provide the names of those who were arrested, a person familiar with the matter provided the list of nine people who had been stopped by Capitol Police. They included several producers, along with comedian and writer Robert Smigel, the voice behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
Police said the group was arrested on unlawful entry charges “because members of the group had been told several times before they entered the Congressional buildings that they had to remain with a staff escort inside the buildings and they failed to do so.”
Capitol Police released a statement on the matter:“On June 16, 2022, at approximately 8:30 p.m., U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) received a call for a disturbance in the Longworth House Office Building,” they said, revealing that the members of Colbert’s team were “unescorted and without Congressional ID, in a sixth-floor hallway. The building was closed to visitors, and these individuals were determined to be a part of a group that had been directed by the USCP to leave the building earlier in the day,” the statement continued. “They were charged with Unlawful Entry. This is an active criminal investigation, and may result in additional criminal charges after consultation with the U.S. Attorney.”
